Rail-brace



C. T. LAMB.

BA'IL BRACE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 17. 1919.

1 ,32 3, 397. Patented Dec. 2, 1919'.

' u V ilflf 7 i v V 1o I m 3 6 z E I-l illi 51mm nto;

GLADDS: T. LAND.

m $1.8. HQZM awn/nu,

CLAUDE r, LAMB, or TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA.

, nAIL-Bimon Sp'ecifieation'of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2, 1919.

Application filed April 17, 1918. Serial No. 290,734.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAUDE T. LAMB, a citizen of the United States,residing at Terre Haute, in the county of Vigo, State of Indiana, haveinvented a new and useful Rail-Brace; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,suchas will enable others skilled in the artto which it appertains tomake anduse the same. 7

The present invention relates to a rail brace, and has for its object toprovide a device of this character which embodies novel features ofconstruction whereby it can be readily applied to a conventionalrailroad track at any point in the length thereof and will firmly bracethe rails to prevent overturning thereof as well as tie the railstogether so that it is impossible for them to spread.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a device of thischaracter which is comparatively simple and inexpensive in itsconstruction, which does not require to be spiked to the tie or boltedto the rails, which provides a firm support for the rails, and whichadmits of the brace blocks being interchanged to fit different weightsand sections of the track rails.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certainnovel combinations' and arrangements of the parts as will more fullyappear as the description pro ceeds, the novel features thereof beingpointed out in the appended claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to thefollowing de scription and accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of a rail brace constructed in accordancewith the invention, showing the same as applied to a railroad track.

Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the same- Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevationof one end of the rail brace, showing the same as applied to a track,portions being broken away and shown in section to illustrate moreclearly the details of construction.

Fig. illustrates a slight modification of the invention.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

trate one embodiment of the invention, the

numerals l designate track rails which may be of any approved weight andcross section, and 2 an ordinary wooden t1e which extends transverselvunder the rails. An elongated flat plate 3 extends under each of therails.

offset upwardly at L and terminate in stems N 7 Said Ste-HIS eing formedwith right and left hand threads, respectively, and being connected by aturnbuckle 6. The offset portions 4 of the plates throw the turn buckleup away from the tie so that there is v ample clearance space for theproper operation of the turn buckle with the plates rest ing flatly uponthe tie.

The outer end of each of the plates 3 terminates in an upstanding lip 7which may have the inner face thereof vertically grooved at 8. Braceblocks 9 are rigid with the outer ends of the plates 3 and have theinner faces thereof properly shaped, as indicated at 9 to fit in thefishing spaces of the rails and engage the outer walls thereof in such amanner as to prevent overturning of the rails. These brace blocks 9 alsohave a suflicient height to extend upwardly along the outer sides of therail heads, as indicated at 9, thereby providing a very firm brace forthe rails. These blocks 9 are engaged by the lips 7 and may be formed attheir outer ends with vertical tongues 10 which engage the beforementioned grooves 8 of the lips. Fastening members, such as the screws11, are threaded upwardly through the plates 3 into the blocks 9.andserve to rigidly connect the blocks to the plates. Where the lips 7 areformed with grooves 8 receiving ribs or tongues 10 of the blocks, asingle fastening member 11 is sufficient to hold the blocks rigidly inposition." Otherwise, two of these screws or fastening members wouldprobably be necessary.

The rail brace is intended to-rest directly upon the tie 2 and to beinterposed between the rails and the tie, thereby providing a firmsupport for the rails even though it is placed upon an old tie. It isnot necessary to drill any holes in the rails or to weaken the tie bydriving spikes into the same. No changes or alterations are required ineither the rails or the tie. The brace blocks 9 conform to the contourof Referring to the drawings, which i]lu the outer sides of thevrailsand fit accurately against the same so as to prevent overturningof the rails, and the turn buckle 6 enables the plates to be movedtoward or away from each other to adjust the device accurately for thewidth of the track. Spreading of the rails is impossible, and the devicecan be readily applied to a track at any point in the length thereof.Furthermore, the brace blocks 9 are detachable and interchangeable, andproper brace blocks to fit any weight or cross section of the trackrails can be readily applied to the plates without difliculty' Fig. tillustrates a slight modification in which the end blocks 9 have askeletonized formation, thereby enabling a saving to be made in materialand reducing the weight of the end blocks without decreasing thestrength thereof. These blocks 9 may either be made integral with thebase plate 3 or be detachably secured thereto by suitable screws 11. Themodified form of the invention is used in identically the same manner asthe other form and provides a firm brace which will prevent spreading oroverturning of the track rails.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

A. rail brace including elongated plates adapted to extend under thetrack rails and terminating at their outer ends in upstanding lipshaving grooves therein, an adjustable connection between the inner endsof the plates, brace blocks fitting upon the outer ends of the platesand provided at their outer ends with ribs which interlock with thegrooves of the lips, the inner ends of the brace blocks beingshaped toconform to the contour of the rail sides with which they have a closeengagement, and fastening members extending upwardly through the platesinto engagement with the blocks to hold them removably in position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CLAUDE T. LAMB.

l/Vitnesses:

FRED CONDER, W. R. STAUGH.

